Recalling, once again, the original Star Trek episode where two countries fight with computer simulations to preserve their infrastructure (roads, buildings, libraries, schools, etc). So humans get a warning their area has been hit, then all affected walk into an incinerator.

SPOILER

Kirk, at the end, blows up one of their computers. The leader says, now the other side will think we are really attacking! There will be destruction, mayhem, horror!

To which Kirk replies, then you will know war and knowing war, you may choose to end it.

And this is where we are heading -- we are preserving the US soldiers but using drones means it doesn't cost us anything to kill. At least when we put our own people in harm's way, we might consider not fighting at all. Now we can accidentally obliterate children with impunity.

Fizpez:PunGent: On a serious note, any Navy guys want to explain why the went with helicopter drones, rather than fixed wing?

For tending sonar buoys?

My guess is anything the Navy would be tracking and attacking can't outrun even a helicopter so why have something that needs to fly orbits around a target instead of something that can just hold station and fire away.

And the logistics and trust invovled with landing something unmanned on a cleared helipad on the back of a frigate vs. trying to catch a arrestor cable coming in at 100kts with a billion dollars of assets on a carrier deck.

What I would love to see is some of this drone technology in the hands of the Coast Guard. Someone swept overboard? Pleasure craft lost at sea? Deploy a set of high-speed drones that fly programmed search patterns that can locate them within a matter of minutes.

The K-MAX is able to carry up to 3.5 tons of supplies and munitions up to 250 miles, and has the ability to auto drop cargo in varying environments. During a "brown out" simulated dust storm -- aimed at replicating Afghanistan's harsh work environment -- cargo was still able to be delivered, according to test personnel.

The Marine Corps and Navy wanted the K-MAX to surpass 6,000 pounds of cargo drops per day for five days, with one mission successfully dropping 3,500 pounds.

lymond01:Recalling, once again, the original Star Trek episode where two countries fight with computer simulations to preserve their infrastructure (roads, buildings, libraries, schools, etc). So humans get a warning their area has been hit, then all affected walk into an incinerator.

SPOILER

Kirk, at the end, blows up one of their computers. The leader says, now the other side will think we are really attacking! There will be destruction, mayhem, horror!

To which Kirk replies, then you will know war and knowing war, you may choose to end it.

And this is where we are heading -- we are preserving the US soldiers but using drones means it doesn't cost us anything to kill. At least when we put our own people in harm's way, we might consider not fighting at all. Now we can accidentally obliterate children with impunity.